ParadisePoker.com player will win world's first free million dollar poker tournament
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ - Paradise
Poker.com will award $1 million, the world's largest online poker prize ever, when its first Million Dollar FreeRoll tournament concludes the weekend of September 24, 2005 at a mystery tropical location in Costa Rica.
The final table, made up entirely of amateurs who beat out thousands of competitors on Paradise
Poker.com includes a software engineer who processes images of Mars, a law clerk, a poker dealer, a professional chef and a number of entrepreneurs.
"The players who made the final table are extremely talented amateurs who have the ability to take their game to the next level", said Bruce Stubbs, marketing manager, Paradise
Poker.com. "The free buy-in gave unheralded amateurs the opportunity to compete for professional-sized stakes, and they've stepped up. The competition is fierce!"
The tournament began on July 1st with three free heats per day until August 26th. Each Heat averaged over 1,000 players with each player only eligible to win one seat in the $1,000,000 main event. On August 27th 3,900 players began the main event showdown, playing until nine finalists remained.
Those nine finalists will now be flown to a five star resort in Costa Rica to play the final table face-to-face, with the winner taking home the largest online poker tournament prize in history, $1,000,000. All finalists will have their travel expenses paid and runners up will earn a share of $150,000 in secondary prizes to be split among the top 500 finishers.
Paradise
Poker.com's free $1,000,000 final table will include:
Mike Darweesh, a software engineer from Tempe, Arizona
Lee Biddulph, a chef from Blackpool, UK
Chris Steudle, supervisor for a family painting business in Albuquerque,
New Mexico
Tim Williams, a law clerk from Salt Lake City, Utah
Kameron Petsche, a poker dealer from S. Lake Tahoe, California
Thu Tran, an entrepreneur from Revere, Massachusetts
Mark Pinsker, an attorney and teacher from Leawood, Kansas
Gerald Anderson, manager of a foam fabrication shop from West Hills,
California
Steven A. Detrick, a sales associate from Columbus, Ohio
Prior to this tournament, none of the players had played poker professionally, though many hope to try their hand at the professional tour if they're successful at the final table.
While most are hesitant to speculate what they will do with the $1,000,000 prize for fear of jinxing themselves, Kameron Petsche wants to send his sister and new brother-in-law on a honeymoon and help out other members of his family. Mark Pinsker would send money to the children of a fellow poker player who died recently while others would donate some to charity and all would pay some bills.
"The overwhelming response from players has made the free $1,000,000 tournament a huge success," said Stubbs. "We hope to find a new, elite poker player in our final table."
The huge success of Paradise
Poker.com's first free $1,000,000 tournament has prompted the company to do it all over again, with heats for the second freeroll already in progress. To find out more about Paradise
Poker.com and the how to participate in the second $1,000,000 freeroll tournament visit: www.paradisepoker.com
About Paradise
Poker.com (www.paradisepoker.com):
Paradise
Poker.com is one of the original Online Poker Rooms offering the safest and most secure entertaining environment for customers. Established in 1999, Paradise
Poker.com joined forces with Sportingbet PLC in 2004, (LSE: SBT - News). Sportingbet is headquartered in London, England and is the world's largest publicly traded online betting, gambling and gaming company.
Press Release - 2005-09-15 02:38:24
